Binoxid-of-hydrogen electrode.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MORRISON, OI DES MOINES, IOWA, ASBIGNOR T0 VES'IA AGCUMULATORGOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BINOXID-OF-HYDROGEN ELECTRODE.

1,006,774. No Drawing.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MonmsoN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,

and resident of Des Moines, Iowa, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Binoxi'd-of-Hydrogen Electro es, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in negative electrodes,or positivepole plates for acid batteries, and has for its object the production ofa plate in which the active material is thoroughly bonded in place and ahard and durable plate formed.

A further object is the production of a plate that willretain its redcolor during the bonding, and one in which no white sulfate will beformed.

A further object is the production of a plate by treatment with asolution of binoxid of hydrogen in the presence of an alkali such asammonia. It is a known fact that binoxid of hydrogen possesses thepeculiar property of acting as a reducing agent in the presence of anacid and as an oxidizing agent in the presence 0 ,an alkali. It is forthat reason that I find essential to use together with the binoxid 0,1hydrogen an alkali, such as ammonia.

A further object is the production of a cheap and eflicient plate.

These and such other ob'ects as may hereinafter ap ear are attained b myinvention, which is escribed in the to lowing specification. a

It is well known that great difliculty is experienced in the o orationof acid batteries y reason of the ormation of a white sulfate,occasionin a great loss of efliciency and considerab y shortening theefiective life of the battery.

In the production of my improved electrode I'prefer to use the followingmethod:

I take a solution of sulfate'of ammoniapreferabl saturated to 35 on theacidometer-an to every five allons add two pounds of binoxid of hy rogenof a tenvolume solution. I then take battery pastepreferably formed fromtwo parts of red ead to one part of litharge --and thoroughly mix itwith the solution. This mixture 15 then applied to any ordinary grid inthe same manner as other paste,;and the plate set away to Whenthe isthoroughly dry, I ip itin a solut on consistin of "distilled waterto-whicli"lia's be'eIiI @dd about of the volume solution to each allonof water. The plate is allowed to ry and is then dipped into a solutionof dilute sulfuric aci preferably of a specific gravity of 1.110containing about two pounds of binoxid of hydrogen of ten-volumesolution to each five gallons. The battery is then made up withoutallowing the, plates to dry after the last immersion, and while thepores ofdthe active material are filled with the am When the solution ofsulfate of ammonia and binoxid of hydrogen is mixed with the oxid oflead, free ammonia is liberated, which escapes into the air, and thesulfuric acid radical of the ammonium sulfate combines with the lead,forming a sulfate which bonds the oxid but does not form a whitesulfate. When the plate is dried, most or all of e ammonia has beengiven oif and the sul ate acts as a bond, making a hard and durableplate. I find, however, that a little ammonla sulfate is often left inthe late, and prefer to dip the plate in the inoxid of hydrogen andwater solution and permit it to thoroughly dry again. This 0 erationremoves all the ammonia, and binds the material more firmly together andgives greater durability to the plate. When the plate is di ped in theacid solution a little more sul ate is formed, and the pores of theplate are full of the acid conductor and in such sha e as not to allowthe formation of white sulfate.

In the first dipping, the binoxid of hydrogen acts as an oxidizer in thepresence of ammonia, and prevents the formation of white sulfate, andthe ammonia is more completely broken up. The. object of the binoxid ofhydrogen acid dip is to prevent the white sulfate from forming duringthe first charge in the formation of the plate, before the leadcommences turnin into an oxid, or during the moose in which it is be ingconverted into e peroxid of lead, and the formation should follow assoon as pos sible after this dip.

' The presence of the binoxid of hydrogen in the es completely preventsthe formation 0 plate and also during the forming I n suflicien'tbinoxid of hydroe has been used, the plate will retain the color of thelead during the settin I r 'and'if'sucli tales is not maintained,"itis ahalf a pound of binoxid of hydrogen of lien that an insufiicient amountof

